Ireland’s girls have a second chance to get a life-saving vaccine. Let’s not waste it

Statement from the HPV Vaccination Alliance to mark the first International HPV Awareness Day, Sunday, 4th March:

“Around 300 women each year in Ireland are diagnosed with a cancer caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Vaccination can stop this and save up to 100 lives here each year.

“Over the next two months immunisation teams will visit second-level schools to administer the second dose of the HPV vaccine to girls. Those who chose not to get the first dose last autumn will have the chance to receive it now. On International HPV Awareness Day, we strongly encourage the families of these girls to avail of this safe, effective and life-saving vaccine.

“The HPV Vaccination Alliance was formed last summer to present the facts about this life-saving HPV vaccine which is currently offered for free to secondary school girls. Since then, provisional figures based on the autumn 2017 vaccination programme show that vaccine uptake has risen to 62%, partially reversing two years of decline. While such an increase is a positive step, clearly more work needs to be done to ensure everyone gets the facts about the safe, effective and life-saving HPV vaccine.”

International HPV Awareness Day is led by the International Papillomavirus Society. For more see givelovenothpv.org.